


Study and Coffee Dates

by wherenonagoes



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Coffee Shops, College, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-29
Updated: 2013-12-29
Packaged: 2018-01-06 14:04:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1107737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wherenonagoes/pseuds/wherenonagoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I really needed Nico being happy with a boyfriend after reading House of Hades, so I wrote this.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Study and Coffee Dates

**Author's Note:**

> I really needed Nico being happy with a boyfriend after reading House of Hades, so I wrote this.

Nico sighed, running his hand through his hair as he closed the large book on the desk in front of him. And he'd thought Tartarus had been bad. Studying for finals was not something he wanted to do, but he's signed up for this, he'd been able to enter the college at New Rome with no questions asked, something that most people couldn't do. And now he was complaining about it when he knew others had it worse, but whatever, that didn't matter now. His stupid history final was killing him, the one subject he'd thought he'd be able to ace. It wasn't so easy though when the teacher was a son of Minerva and knew everything in the textbook, mainly because he wrote it.

He was about to reopen the mass of papers in front of him when he heard his phone go off. Cell phones had been something demigods had avoided for so long, but since Gaea and everything else had calmed down, less monsters were on the prowl, which meant that demigods could think of a way to get cellular devices without it broadcasting their location. And Nico had completely overcome the technology gap, so everything seemed normal now, not out of his hands.

It was still weird though, that his phone would go off. He'd only given his number to a few people, most of which were actually in New Rome, or close by just outside, or near Camp Half-Blood. When he checked his phone he was a bit surprised to find an unknown number.

'Hey, this is Thom. We have the same history class, and I actually sit just a few seats down from you most of the time. I was wondering if you wanted to study together? I heard that it's better for memorization.'

The proposal was completely the opposite of whatever Nico had been expecting, though he hadn't really known what he'd been expecting when he opened the text either. He quickly replied, trying to place a face to him and not really coming up with one.

'Thomas you mean? Thomas Saville? Yeah, sure. Where do you want to meet?'

A name had come to him, because Thom sounded familiar, and he couldn't help but think that maybe this Thom was a son of Venus, though if he remembered anything from the history class other than the fact that their professor liked saying his mother had a hand in most of the events he talked about, he was lucky. Nico didn't exactly known the feeling that started bubbling in his stomach, maybe excitement? He hadn't exactly ever been one to actually want to be a part of a group anything, but hey, he'd grown in more ways than one.

'Yeah, Thomas, but anyways. I was just thinking about the library next to campus.'

'Sure. I'll meet you there in ten minutes.'

What was he even doing? Nico didn't really know this guy at all, at least he couldn't exactly remember every detail about him, but he didn't care about that either. Soon enough he was packing his bag, stuffing his textbook and his review worksheet in a satchel and pulling on his dark sweater that he'd bought a few months ago before it had started getting cold. Everything he owned was still dark in color, but that was more preference than trying to stand out; he guessed it was part of being Hades' son, but he didn't care.

Nico's apartment wasn't that far away from campus, it was actually in between where he worked on the weekends and where most of his classes were, so it wasn't that hard of a walk to take to get to the library. The large building was only two stories tall, but the way they situated the bookcases made it seem larger on the inside. Nico waited outside the library, in front of a bench but not wanting to sit down. A few people waved at him as they walked by, and he gave a weak smile in return, unsure of how this whole thing was going to work out.

A couple minutes later he saw another man approaching the library, flicking through his phone, and he seemed so familiar that Nico was sure that was Thomas. The man looked up as he grew closer to the library, and he smiled towards Nico, putting his phone into his pocket along with his hands as he stopped in front of him.

"Hey. I'm glad you came," Thomas's voice sounded like smooth velvet, and Nico swallowed thickly before smiling in return. Thomas pushed his hair back, at least attempted, and it showed that he was used to having long hair, but now he only had short cropped auburn hair combed to the side, at least it had been before he mussed it up.

"Studying with a partner seemed the right idea," Nico nodded and he turned halfway towards the library. "We gonna go in, or catch a cold?"

Thomas chuckled and he started in, Nico behind him.

It was one thing to say he was good looking, and a complete other thing to say he was hot beyond belief. There was not doubting that this man was a son of Venus. It didn't really matter though, who your parents were, because mostly all the demigods here got along well now, so there was no need to bring it up.

The two of them settled themselves upstairs, where most of the reference books they would need to fill out their review sheets would be. A table next to the window was fine, and they bother placed their things down before getting to work. Nico took the odd numbers while Thomas took the even, and they worked effortlessly with each to fill in every question and make sure everything was noted and jotted down to help with their individual studies later.

They finished around four in the afternoon. Every single inch of their review sheets filled with scrawled handwriting, trying not to go onto another sheet, but finally giving up once everything became illegible. They both had a few extra pages with everything they would need for their final in just a few days, so the time was all worth it.

They hadn't really talked about anything but the class, as though getting to work, and making sure they could get through this rather natural part of life was more important, and in several ways it was. Demigods like them were lucky to live to their twenties, at least Nico thought that Thomas was in his twenties, he looked a year or two older than himself, but you could never tell with battle-worn demigods. They piled their things into their bags and relaxed against their chairs, just staring listlessly upon the books they would need to put away.

"Hey, thanks for coming. You made studying worth it," Thomas smiled, and Nico couldn't help but mirror him.

"It was no problem. I probably couldn't have made it through all of this by myself."

The two of them both rose from their seats, stretching and yawning and trying to not be so tired so early in the afternoon. They both put the books away, and one there was one left on the table for them to return, they reached for it at the same time, hands barely gliding over one another's.

"Uh, sorry. You can get it," Nico almost stumbled backwards, swallowing before he moved to take his things from the chair.

"It's alright. Hey, how about we go out to coffee? I'll buy," Thomas picked up the book along with his own things, a grin permanently on his face as he basically asked Nico on a date.

"Uh, sure. I've got nothing else to do today." That was a lie, there were several other finals he needed to study for, and this had just been the second, but he couldn't help but agree to go.

"Awesome, let me just go put this away," Thomas left him there at the table, and Nico was thankfully able to somewhat clear his head.

Thomas was a nice guy, that was obvious, and he certainly didn't seem scared or just put off by an aura Nico knew he couldn't put off. Being a son of Hades meant always having some sort of stench around you, as though the feeling of death lingered over him and he couldn't shake it off. Thomas didn't seem to care, and it was generally nice to know that he cared more about Nico than his parentage or anything else. He was his own person, not the son of Hades, but Nico di Angelo, twenty year old sophomore in college barely making it through.

He was back in seconds, and he smiled and motioned for Nico to follow him as they left the library.

New Rome had expanded exponentially since he'd been there as a teen, basically outcast by everyone. Greeks and Romans were able to, for the most part, work together to make a community for those who deemed the outside world too dangerous. It made it an amazing community filled with people who accepted everyone, since everyone had gone through struggles they could empathize with. Nico followed Thomas down some streets, and at a particularly hard turn, Thomas grabbed his hand to lead him into one of the dozens of coffee shops that dotted New Rome, all better than any Starbucks he'd been to.

Nico's face blazed, his cheeks reddening as he felt the smoothness of Thomas's hand, no longer calloused from hours and hours of fighting monsters or training for said fighting. Then they were in the coffee shop and sitting down in a corner, again by the window.

Seeing Thomas at eye level again was nice, his deep brown eyes warm and inviting, making Nico wish he could just let himself have this. He was at the moment, but he didn't know if he could let himself go so far yet.

"What do you want? Snacks, coffee, anything?" Thomas had already let go of his hand, but their hands lingered close to one another on the table in between them, but both of them didn't go to move away.

"Oh, uh I'll take some black coffee. A large if you wouldn't mind," Nico was dead tired, figuratively of course. Thomas patted his hand and nodded before standing up to get in the short line and soon order their drinks, standing by the wall as he waited for them to be ready.

All the while Nico couldn't really understand what was going on. Thomas had asked him out on a date, but they didn't really know each other, did they? Sure, they knew names, and he was more than positive that Thomas knew who he was. It then occurred to him that he hadn't given Thomas his cell phone number, and he began to get worried. How had he gotten it? Had he asked someone else for it? Nico sighed, blinking a couple times and then looking forward where Thomas had been sitting, glancing around the shop, trying to think it through his already sleepy mind. He didn't get long though because soon enough Thomas was joining him again, placing his cup of steaming coffee in front of him in a paper cup.

"Uh, Thom, I have a question," Nico placed his hands around the cup, not meeting the other man's eyes.

"Shoot."

"How did you get my cell phone number?" he looked up at Thomas for that though, and his expression only confused him.

"You put it down as a way to contact you in case a class was canceled. The professor had us all put contact information on a sheet at the beginning of the semester. Don't you remember?"

Nico couldn't help but feel embarrassed by that. Of course he would forget that he'd put his name and number on a slip of paper, it wasn't just something he would try to remember when he'd trained himself on what was important and what was not. "No, I didn't."

"Oh, well. You did."

"Uh," Nico took a sip of his coffee, almost spilling the cup after burning the tip of his tongue.

"It is hot you know," Thomas chuckled a bit, taking a sip of his own cup of coffee, some iced mixture Nico had never tried.

"I know. I just... didn't think about it," it seemed as though he was cursed to always have pink cheeks now, heat rushing to color them.

"You know, for being a son of Hades, you really look rather lively." Thomas took another drink of his coffee, looking up at Nico through his eyelashes before placing it back down.

"Well, for a son of Venus, you're too handsome," what he had just said? Were they really resulting to complimenting each other?

"Thanks."

It was quiet then, and the two of them didn't look at each other. for a few minutes, sipping their coffee, and Nico wishing he had an ice cube or two to cool his down.

It was getting on the point of awkward when someone pulled up a chair and sat at their table. It was a woman around their own age, holding a mirror in her hand and applying what seemed like another layer of lipstick.

"Hello boys. It's nice to see you Thomas. How's your father?"

"Mom?"

"Well who else?" Venus snapped closed her compact mirror, and smiled at both of them.

Nico couldn't help but look on in horror. Venus and her son sat in front of him, and he didn't think he could stand it.

"Anyways, as I see you're both stunned. Happy belated birthday to you Thomas, for the last, or how many has it been? Twelve years? Well, I thought I'd let you know that this little match right here is perfectly alright, and that I knew you'd be able to pick a good boyfriend," Venus smiled, her hands folded on the tabletop in front of them all.

Wait, Nico almost couldn't understand what was going on. Venus was approving of a relationship that hadn't even happened yet? Nico wasn't even sure he would like Thomas like that! Sure, he was pretty good looking, but Nico was still having a problem with accepting himself while everybody else didn't seem to care.

"Uh, mom. We're not going out." Thank the gods Thomas said that and Nico hadn't, he wasn't sure what Venus would have done if he had.

"What? Really? Well, anyways. You two would be a rather nice couple, just telling you. And when it gets time for marriage, make sure to remember to ask my blessing, and offer up some good food. I have to go and make an appearance at some other wedding in a couple seconds, so bye! And Thomas, you've got great taste," Venus winked at both of them and was gone. And of course, nobody around them, though demigods themselves, had noticed the goddess's presence.

They sat there in a stunned silence, not touching their coffee or anything else.

"I am so sorry she just put you through that. I didn't know she would, I mean, having her as a mother, gods," Thomas sighed, exasperated. He has his hands rubbing over the bottom part of his face and the top part of his neck, reaching back behind it as he kept his eyes averted.

"It's uh, it's okay." And Nico meant that. Thomas seemed a good enough person, and it wasn't like Nico didn't know he was interested now. "It's okay."

"Really? I mean, you don't have to go out with me if you don't want, like it would be really nice because I've had the biggest crush on you for a while now, but I mean-" Thomas stopped, realizing everything he was saying. And Nico had thought that the sons and daughters of Venus and Aphrodite were good with their romance talking.

"It's fine. Really, don't sweat it. How about you come over for dinner? I've got some pasta I could cook up, and I've got the all the seasons of, uh, I can't actually remember what show. One of the friends gave them to my for my birthday last year and I haven't gotten around to watching them," Nico smiled at Thomas, and he did the same.

"That sounds cool, yeah. Sure, let's go then. I mean, if you want to," Thomas swallowed and Nico nodded his head as he stood up.

"I don't live that far away. Just in an apartment by that one fountain, uh, the one with lion on it's hind legs?"

"Really? My apartments around there too. Maybe we could just stop by my place so I can drop my stuff off, and then head over to your place?"

"Yeah! That sounds perfect, let's get going then," Nico smiled and picked up his coffee, taking another sip and sighing. Still too hot.

The two of them left the coffee shop, talking about classes, about friends, and the different ways they'd been procrastinating studying for the finals they knew they needed to take seriously. Altogether, it was a rather productive afternoon, and Nico couldn't help but look back on it fondly.

 


End file.
